Sweet corn is now coming in strong and ready to improve our
happiness. Many of us seek out the best of this fresh from the field crop of
summer.
Sure, tomatoes and squash and cucumbers and everything else
are coming in like gangbusters as we enter August, but for now, sweet corn is
the one that stands above all others. I inherited a love of sweet corn from my
father and I'm always searching for the ultimate sweet corn stands.
Hall Brothers in nearby Lodi grow their sweet corn in the
richest soil in Medina County, and they are the gold standard in this area. I
stopped by their stand, which is a pick-up truck loaded with corn, melons, and
tomatoes at the corner of 18 and 252, in the middle of writing this column on
the advice of Corkscrew Saloon owner and executive chef Ryan Marino. That stand
has always been there since I have been in Medina, which is over 20 years.
Other stands carry sweet corn and other farms grow sweet corn, including local
favorite Richardson Farms on 42 half the way to Lodi. I aim to test as many as
I can this month. Szalay’s Farm Market in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park is
also one of my favorites if I happen to be that way, but I don’t typically
drive 40 minutes just for sweet corn. They grow and sell it right there along
the Cuyahoga River in CVNP.
How do I prefer to cook my sweet corn you ask? The answer is
easy: I don’t know. There are just too many ways, and all are good as long as
the sweet corn is good.
Boiling, the way of my youth, is easy and quick. Just drop
the silk free ears into boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes and enjoy! I remember
a party right in the center of a corn field in Pennsylvania once where this was
done en masse in cotton sacks lowered into a giant copper cauldron over a fire.
That was the best sweet corn ever.
My usual method now is roasting the corn in the husk on my
grill if it is going to accompany something I am grilling that evening. To do
this, I remove a few of the outer layers of the husk leaving just a few to
protect the kernels. I then put the ears in the husk on the top rack in of the
gas grill and leave it be, turning it every 5 minutes, until the husks are dark
brown. This method gives you great flavor but little caramelization.
If you go to Szalay’s Farm Market, which everyone should go
to at least once every summer, you can buy an ear of corn roasted on a rotating
automatic corn roaster. Similar method and very good.
Finally, I sometimes husk the corn and cook it right on the
grill, kernals exposed to the flames, brushing it with butter and turning it
often. This method achieves wonderful caramelization and a great corn on the
cob presentation.
To butter or not to butter, that is the most debated
question. Typically I say butter makes everything better, but if you find
amazing fresh Hall’s sweet corn, eat it as it is. Your tastebuds and waistline
will thank you.
As always, I urge you to eat fresh, dine local, and be
happy!
